Patient/Survivor/Caregiver Reviewer Program

What is the CCS Patient/Survivor/Caregiver Reviewer Program?

The CCS Patient/Survivor/Caregiver (PSC) reviewer program engages people affected by cancer to review research grant proposals. By engaging patients, survivors, thrivers, caregivers, and families, we can make sure people affected by cancer shape the way that research funding and funding decisions are made. Your input can help us make more equitable, relevant decisions in research funding.

Who can sign up as a Patient/Survivor/Caregiver Reviewer?

If you have an experience of cancer as a patient, survivor, thriver, caregiver, or close family member, you have expertise that can help us ensure research funding decisions are relevant and impactful to people affected by cancer. Even though this patient partner activity is about research, you do not need any previous experience with or exposure to research to participate. We will support you to partner meaningfully with us. We encourage diverse perspectives and people from all walks of life who are affected by cancer to get involved. We don’t ask you to speak for all people with cancer, but for you to bring your unique insight from your lived experience of cancer and apply that to the research proposals you review.

Please note that CCS staff are not eligible to participate in this program.

Take part in (on-line) training, learning and onboarding. This is to help you feel prepared and confident to participate and to learn about our research review and funding processes. We will continue to support you throughout the review process.
Review research proposals and provide brief written reports on the proposals. You will be provided with guides and resources to help you review and make decisions on research proposals. You will provide feedback on aspects of the scientific merit, relevance and potential impact of the research proposals to people affected by cancer, to help assess the research.
As part of the review, you will participate in a panel review meeting (currently being hosted virtually). This is a group meeting of all reviewers to discuss research proposals. You will be asked to share your assessment of the proposals you reviewed and to score proposals. The application submission and review process is managed through the CCS online grants system (EGrAMS). You would need access to technology (i.e., computer access and internet connection) to use the online grants management platform. We will make every effort to support you prior to and during the review process with technical support, information, training and accommodation^*.
We offer compensation for engagement work to help make participation more equitable and diverse, to recognize expertise and contribution, and to remove barriers to participation. To learn more about our Patient Partner Compensation Policy, click here.
If you’d like to learn more about patient partnership in research funding at CCS, click here

^*We may be able to support technology set-up, hold individual meetings to answer questions or clarify information and provide technical support throughout the review process and panel meeting, as some examples of accommodation to help you participate fully. CCS is also committed to national representation in its reviewer panels. As such, CCS can provide training materials in French and encourages participation of individuals who are French-speaking. While the panel meeting is conducted only in English, CCS recognizes the importance of French-language speakers and may be able to provide bilingual support during meetings.

Sign up to become a Patient/Survivor/Caregiver Reviewer

Current opportunities

We are always looking for Patient / Survivor / Caregiver Reviewers. Even if you don’t see a specific opportunity, we encourage you to apply so that we can get to know you and match you to an opportunity as soon as it becomes available.

Some of our upcoming research competitions include:

CCS Challenge Grants

The Challenge Grants program will support cancer research projects across the cancer continuum and across disciplines, with an ultimate goal of solving a problem (i.e. a ‘challenge’) in cancer that is meaningful to people affected by or at risk of cancer.

Applications from the four pillars of health research (i.e. biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental and population health) are welcome.
Up to $450K is available per team over 3 years, with a funding envelope of approximately $15.75M.

Who: For PSC reviewers, no experience in science is required to participate.
Time commitment: About 30-35 hours total is expected. Beyond orientation and training, PSC reviewers will review 4-6 applications (2-4 hours per application) and attend the virtual panel meeting (~7 hours).
Closing date: Friday, September 15, 2023
Panel meetings: Late November and early December

Learn more about the funding program

CCS Research Training Awards: Post-Doctoral Fellowships

The purpose of this funding program is to support growth and innovation in the next generation of diverse cancer researchers across Canada at the Postdoctoral level (Master’s and PhD panels happened earlier this year). Our Research Training Awards seek to build inclusive capacity in cancer research and recognizing this, we support Black and Indigenous applicants to apply for this opportunity. Up to $190K is available per award over 3 years, with a funding envelope of approximately $5M (more if partners join).

Who: For PSC reviewers, no experience in science is required to participate.
Time commitment: About 30 hours total is expected. Beyond orientation and training, PSC reviewers will review 4-6 applications (2-4 hours per application) and attend the virtual panel meeting (~7 hours).
Closing date: Monday, August 11, 2023
Panel meetings: Late October

Learn more about the funding program

How to become a Patient/Survivor/Caregiver Reviewer:

Step 1: Fill out a short survey about your experiences and interests.
Step 2: A member of the Research team will be in touch with you shortly to talk about patient partnership opportunities.

Step 3: Once we have found an opportunity that fits, we will provide any training and orientation you may need to contribute fully.
Step 4: You will take part in the chosen opportunity. We will support you the entire way.
Step 5: After the project is complete, we will ask for your feedback and keep you involved according to your preferences.

You do not need any previous experience with or exposure to research to participate in most of our activities. We will support you to partner meaningfully with us. We encourage diverse perspectives and people from all walks of life who are affected by cancer to get involved. All of our opportunities are virtual at this time. We look forward to hearing from you!

Last modified on: November 11, 2022